请坐，请喝茶 Please Sit, Please Have Tea

朋友péngyou来lái我wǒ家jiā，我wǒ很hěn高兴gāoxìng。

My friend comes to my home, and I am very happy.

我wǒ请qǐng朋友péngyou坐zuò，请qǐng他tā喝hē茶chá。

I ask my friend to sit, and offer him tea.

朋友péngyou坐下zuòxià，喝hē了le茶chá。

My friend sat down, and drank the tea.

朋友péngyou说shuō谢谢xièxie，我wǒ说shuō不客气bú kèqi。

My friend says thank you, and I say you're welcome.

我们wǒmen说话shuōhuà，很hěn高兴gāoxìng。

We talk, and are very happy.

🔊 Audio uses your device's Chinese voice for now — teacher recordings are coming. Tap any word to see its meaning.

Key words 生词

请qǐngplease

坐zuòto sit

喝hēto drink

茶chátea

谢谢xièxiethank you

不客气bú kèqiyou're welcome

请 + verb — a polite request

请 before a verb softly asks someone to do something, like "please" in English.

我请朋友坐，请他喝茶。 — I ask my friend to sit, and offer him tea.

了 — completed action

了 right after the verb shows the action already happened.

朋友坐下，喝了茶。 — My friend sat down, and drank the tea.

谢谢 / 不客气 — thank you / you're welcome

This pair of set phrases is the standard exchange for thanks in Chinese.

朋友说谢谢，我说不客气。 — My friend says thank you, and I say you're welcome.

1. What does the narrator ask the friend to do first?

2. What does the friend drink?

3. What does the friend say after drinking the tea?

After this reading

I'm Fei, and I teach Mandarin one-on-one on Preply. Bring this text to a trial lesson — we'll fix your tones and turn it into a real conversation.